Many ideas were discussed during recent workshops on how to improve Main Street from First to 21st avenues.
The workshops, held at the library, were sponsored by the Durant Sustainability Coalition in partnership with the Durant Trails and Open Space group.
“As Durant grows, Main Street should become the central gathering place for residents and visitors to experience its economic and social vibrancy, history and culture,” said Mark Mesiti-Miller, chair of DSC. “It will feature place-appropriate shops, galleries, restaurants and visitor venues with outdoor amenities that encourage people to stop and explore.”
Mesiti-Miller said his statement best summarizes the sense of the room at the conclusion of the two workshops. More than 50 people participated in the workshops that had four total sessions.
“A broad cross-section of the community participated in the round table discussions and workbook exercises at the core of the second workshop,” he said.
The following issues were the top conversations during the roundtable discussion, according to Mesiti-Miller.
- Safety - Everyone present agreed safety was the highest priority, even at the cost of increased travel time through this stretch of Main.
- Appearance - 90% of participants agreed the attractiveness of Main Street is a very high priority, even while recognizing attractiveness will come at a high cost.
- Parking - 63% of participants agreed parking for customers is a high priority but how to achieve the right balance of supply, location and cost needs more discussion.
- Economic Vitality - about 70% see Main Street businesses as the economic heart of Durant and 83% were in favor of creating a special Main Street tax district with a portion of the proceeds to be reinvested in the district.
- Funding - Almost all participants want the city to seek grant funding to leverage local tax dollars to the maximum extent possible even if it takes more time to start and complete projects. No one was in favor of borrowing money just to start construction sooner. Participants recognized that using grant funds will enable larger and better projects to be constructed with each local dollar spent.
- Cross-Town Travel - 83% listed safety as more important than travel time and spending an extra 1-2 minutes to travel from 1st to 21st along Main was acceptable. 94% want smarter signal lights to eliminate waiting for cross traffic when none exists. 90% prefer the STROAD portions of Main Street (between 5th and 15th) be replaced with an attractive, walkable street.
Mesiti-Miller said one key take-away from the workshops is an idea that was not specifically presented, but evolved from the discussions: “Main Street should not be viewed as a primary crosstown thoroughfare,” he said. “It should be viewed and planned primarily as a place, perhaps the main place, for locals and visitors to shop, eat, visit and play.
In summary and on behalf of all the workshop participants, DSC and DTOS strongly encourage the city to continue engaging residents, business owners and the community at large in planning the investments in all Main Street improvement projects.”
Mesiti-Miller said they heard from many people, including some who were unable to participate in the workshops and that a clear message was presented”
• Main from 1st to 21st is the most visible and visited street in Durant, serving as Durant’s “front yard” for residents and visitors alike.
• Residents want all of Main Street to be safe, walkable and attractive and expect the city to plan comprehensively and seek grants to achieve that vision.
• Residents want to be engaged in the process of developing Main Street and recognize that taking the time to make the best investment decisions will maximize the return on investment of their local tax dollars.
